Hooch tragedy: Sounder and his wife held by CCB

Bangalore, May 22: Sounder, the main culprit behind hooch tragedy which has so far claimed more than 180 lives in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has been nabbed by the Karnataka Police of the Central Crime Bureau (CCB). Police sources told the sources that a special CCB team nabbed Sounder and his wife at Namakkal town in Tamil Nadu where they were hiding after the killer brew started claiming lives from Sunday.

So far 189 people, including 54 in Krishnagiri District of Tamil Nadu, have died and still more than 100 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals. In Kolar district, from where it first started, 33 people have died so far and since last the toll has remained stagnant and situation is improving with more than 6 people were discharged.

Sounder was being brought to Bangalore for questioning. He used to sell the killer brew through his associates in the bordering areas of Tamil Nadu and in rural and slum areas of Karnataka. The state government had suspended as many 21 officials, including Nine police and 12 from Excise department for their failure in containing the illicit brew trade.

The state drug department which examined the samples of hooch, has stated that methanol or methyl were mixed while manufacturing the kill brew and diverted to illegal trade from Industrial purposes.

UNI